Is it too late?
by Mabel
Summary: What has become of Ron and his fellows ten years after Hogwarts? Mystery, suspense, potion, romance, marriage, infidelity, innuendo, mission, action, spy, angst, regret, twist. *Pending*
1. Promise and Truth

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Disclaimer: Everything that can be found in the official Harry Potter books and "Ashes of Time" belongs to their creators. One line in Chapter One is borrowed from Cassandra Claire with her consent. The rest belongs to me.

A/N: This story is written after "The Goblet of Fire" (the fourth book) and before the release of "The Order of the Phoenix" (the fifth book). I've tried to have this series carefully planned. You'll enjoy it more if you think, make guesses & try to solve the mysteries as you're reading before they are uncovered. When reading Chapters 1 & 2, please be patient and don't skip the details because they help you in the process. Otherwise, there'll be a lot you won't understand in the following chapters.

- CHAPTER ONE -

**PROMISE AND TRUTH**

It had seemed that I was destined to be overshadowed ever since I was born. I had been envious of my elder brothers' success and the fame of my best friend, Harry, who hadn't really done anything to find it.

It had been ten years after Hogwarts. I had been in Romania for nearly eight years, working for C.A.V.E. - Coalition Against Voldemort's Expansion - headed by Dumbledore, as an informant. My job was to locate Death Eaters around Romania, Bulgaria, Serbia and Hungary and provide information to Aurors who had joined C.A.V.E. so they could capture targets more easily. It might not sound as challenging as that of Aurors'. However, without people like me, Aurors would be in a disadvantageous position because of ignorance of the geographical features or dangerous magical creatures and plants that darks wizards might use against them. Even if there weren't Death Eaters, the region I was in charge of was no good for common wizards and witches. There are lots of swamps, Devil's Snare and Horntails, and Vampires and Veela seemed to have sided with Voldemort.

Because of my job nature, I didn't like friends and family visiting or owling me because that would put them in danger. Even when Ginny owled me the previous year, I did not respond. I still had the note with me.

_15 August, 2007_

_Ron,_

_I know you don't like us owling you but something's just happened here. I can't tell if it's urgent or not but it may very well be related to you. Please come home, if possible, because I don't know if I'm handling it in the best way. By the way, everyone is okay here._

_Take care,_

_Ginny_

As the matter might not be urgent and Ginny could still handle it, though probably not in the best way, I ignored it. Besides, there was someone in England I didn't want to see.

Every year around July, Draco Malfoy visited me. We were no longer enemies since some Slytherins like Adrian Pucey, Terence Higgs and he had left the dark side in my seventh year. Nevertheless, they never helped us with the fight against Voldemort. Perhaps they were caught in between righteousness and their family who were mostly Death Eaters. Voldemort's supporters considered them traitors, so most of them were compelled to live a wandering life.

Draco was a strange fellow. He called on me for no reason. Anyway, it was good to have someone to talk with once every year when I was alone most of the time. He had been seeing me for quite a number of years. That year, he brought me a gift.

*

"A friend of mine gave me a bottle of _Alienodolor_ recently. She said it's unlike the Forgetfulness Potion we learnt to brew in our first year. Instead of erasing everything, it slowly takes away the painful memory. I don't think Snape taught us how to make it in our schooldays, did he? Anyway, my friend said a good memory gives man trouble," said Draco, sitting on a window sill, leaning against the frame. He put a hand through his silvery blond hair and gazed out of the window. "How wonderful it'd be if man could forget the past. Everyday would be a new beginning. Isn't that great? Perhaps I have to get a bottle for myself too." I wasn't sure if he was speaking to me or to himself, but then he turned and looked at me. "Well, the potion was meant for you as a gift. Now, can you treat me to a beer?"

The potion sounded too weird. I couldn't bring myself to drink it but I let Draco have as many cans of Butterbeer as he liked. He did drink a lot that night, and then fell asleep on a sofa.

Draco would usually stay at my place for a week but, strangely, he had already left before I got up the next morning. I could see that he had been upset about something the previous night, but I didn't know what it was.

*

The following night, I had an unexpected visitor. I was sitting on the sofa reading a map when a woman Apparated to my living room. She stood in front of the coffee table facing me.

"Where's Draco?" demanded the woman.

I looked up from my map. "Who are you? And what do you want with him?" The woman looked somehow familiar.

"Pansy Parkinson. Ronald Weasley, I know Draco is here."

Though I had hated Draco in my schooldays, I couldn't have denied that he looked cool and handsome. With those silver grey eyes, blond silky hair, chiselled features and a well-built body, he could have had a bunch of Hogwarts girls after him back then, if it hadn't been for Malfoys' strong ties with Voldemort. After leaving the dark side, Draco won the admiration and affection of many witches but none of them could compare with Pansy Parkinson for her longstanding devotion to Draco.

I simply said, "He's gone."

"Gone? Gone again!" She fell to her knees and started crying uncontrollably.

I jumped up and didn't know what to do. To calm her down, I tried giving her a few drinks, but that couldn't stop her from weeping and mumbling to herself. I just stood there looking at her.

Suddenly, I caught one of the many things she was saying. "If he loved me, why did he leave me alone?"

"Sometimes a man doesn't realise how deeply he's in love with someone until he's separated from her. Maybe that's the case with Draco." I couldn't help saying.

Pansy looked up and shouted, "No!"

I was shocked by her reaction. There was an uncomfortable moment of silence. She seemed to be lost in her thought. I asked her cautiously, "Why are you so sure?"

Lifelessly, she said, "He said he's in love with another woman." She buried her head in her arms which were crossed on the coffee table and wept again.

I didn't know what to say but she slowly fell asleep.

Though she was a Slytherin, I pitied her. A heartbroken person shouldn't be left sleeping on the floor. I was carrying her to the sofa when she struggled feebly and said defensively.

"Who are you?"

"Don't you recognize me?"

She half-opened her eyes. In the darkness, she looked like someone.

"Of course I know you. You promised to marry me!" she said.

"Did I?" I lowered her onto the sofa but she clung her hand to mine tightly. My attempt to detached myself from her failed. I was left standing next to her lying form.

"One year, I went all the way to Hogsmeade to find you. We drank together at Three Broomsticks. You said to me that you'd marry me if I'd change. I knew what you meant. You wanted me to leave the dark side like you."

She had taken me as someone else, probably due to the effect of alcohol.

"A man can't be serious when he's drunk," I said

She sobbed, still clinging to my hand. "Because of your promise, I've defied my parents and disgraced my family. Last time I saw you, I asked you to take me along but you refused. You said you couldn't love two persons at the same time. You loved me. Then why have you fallen in love with another woman?"

She let go of my hand and turned away from me. "Do you know I've gone to look for that woman? Pucey told me she's the one you love most. I'd wanted to kill her but I didn't in the end because I didn't want to prove that she is!" she paused. "Sometimes I wondered if you've truly loved me, but I don't want to know the answer anymore."

After a while, she suddenly stood up and flung her arms round my neck. "If I ever ask you the question, please don't tell me the truth. No matter how unwilling you are, please tell me you love me!" She cried on my shoulder and my robe was soaked with her tears. Slowly, she sobbed herself to sleep.

I let her sleep on the sofa and sat in an armchair opposite to her. Time passed second by second that night.

"Tell me. Do you love me?" It seemed that she was having a dream.

"Yes, I love you," I answered, as she had wanted. Her lips curled into a smile. 

Someone had once asked me the same question. I didn't answer it. Acting as Draco, however, I found it wasn't so hard to utter those three words.

That night, I felt someone touch me in my sleep. I knew very well I wasn't the one she wanted to touch. She was still taking me as someone else. It was the same for me. Her hands were very warm, just like ...

- Flashback -

_"He doesn't know how to take care of himself," whispered a girl. She pulled a blanket over a red-haired boy who had fallen asleep on a couch in the Gryffindor common room. She sat down next to him, looking at him adoringly._

_The boy felt someone stroke his hair and his face tenderly with a soft, warm palm. That someone planted a kiss on the side of his mouth, and her hair brushed his cheek like butterfly wings. He inhaled the scent of her and knew instantly she was the one who had always been in his dreams._

_He fought the urge to hold her in his arms and pretended to be still asleep. He had decided to join C.A.V.E. after the graduation ceremony. An embrace then would snap his will to enlist himself in the coalition the following day. _Why did she have to make it so difficult for him?

_He lay still and heard her walk back to the girls' dormitory. He thought, at such a critical period in the wizarding world and a time when he was starting a career, he couldn't and shouldn't give her any promise. He stood up, causing the blanket to fall onto the floor, and looked at her through the door of her dormitory in agony._

**

A/N:

Questions for Your Thought:

  * Whom didn't Ron want to see?
  * Why did Draco visit Ron every year?
  * Why did Draco give _Alienodolor_ to Ron?
  * Why did Draco look so upset?
  * Would Pansy be able to find Draco?
  * Whom did Draco truly love?
  * Who was the girl in the Gryffindor common room?

Thank you for reading Chapter 1. Please comment. I wish there would be at least 5 reviews before Chapter 2 is up.


	2. Anguish and Rage

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A/N:

Apart from Ron, Draco, Pansy and the mysterious (to some readers) her, more HP characters will make their appearance in this chapter. They all weave the plot of the story, so don't ignore any of them.

I'm asking for help. Do you remember what the potion for erasing memory and spells for opening, closing and locking (a door) are, if mentioned in the official Harry Potter books. I have just made up their name and incantations using Latin in this chapter. I know that _Alohomora_ is for unlocking.

I have to thank [Ayleeandra][1] for pointing out the odd thing in Chapter 1. Because of her comment, the issue will be addressed in this part. Thanks, Ayleeandra.

- CHAPTER TWO -

**ANGUISH AND RAGE**

That night, I dreamt of lots of people, the Weasleys, the Gryffindors and Hogwarts teachers but most dreams were about her. I was suddenly aware that I hadn't been home for a very long time.

When I got up the next morning, Pansy Parkinson was no where to be seen. In two days, two persons had stayed at my place for no more than twelve hours and had left without notice. I didn't feel too happy to have been 'intruded' like that, but I reminded myself to set my mind on the task at hand.

I had found out that a Death Eater would be at Wooded Hills of South Bucovina which was very close to my base soon. The mating season of unicorns would start on the night of the full moon that was two weeks away and hundreds of those magical creatures would gather in that area. It was said that many Death Eaters had been seriously injured after a series of strikebacks by our Aurors and Voldemort wanted his servant to slay as many unicorns as possible for their blood. (Read Book 1 - _The Philosopher's Stone / The Sorcerer's Stone_ - if you don't know the use of unicorn blood.)

After passing the news to Dumbledore, I had been informed that two Aurors who had joined C.A.V.E. would arrive soon. They happened to be my childhood friends - Seamus Finnigan and Dean Thomas.

*

I had been quite surprised by Seamus' decision to become an Auror three years after our graduation. In our last year at Hogwarts, I had tried to persuade him to join the fight against Voldemort as an Auror, an informant or whatever, but he had only wanted to get a steady job in the Ministry. His goal then had been to buy a small garden house, start a family and have kids. Working diligently in the Department of International Magical Co-operation for several years, he had finally saved enough Galleons to acquire a property, not an ordinary cottage but a villa in Barcelona. He had chosen the coastal city in Spain all for his fiancée who had always wished to move to a warmer European country. For her, Seamus had even considered quitting his job in the British Ministry and trying to find a post in the Spanish counterpart.

Their wedding was held in the garden of their villa. There had never been a more joyous occasion and a bigger gathering of old acquaintance since our graduation. Relatives of both families, friends from Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff, Hogwarts teachers, wizards and witches of the Ministry, employees of the largest wizarding bakery run by the bride in England, and even converted Slytherins like Draco, Adrian Pucey, Terence Higgs, Blaise Zabini were all there. Of course the biggest group was the Gryffindors, though three did not turn up.

Instead of having a honeymoon, the newlyweds invited their alumni, regardless of their House, to spend a month or so at their villa after the wedding so they could catch up on what had happened after Hogwarts. Seamus proved himself to be a very hospitable host. Everyone had a wonderful time at first. However, two weeks later, sooner than the guests had expected, Seamus abruptly asked everyone to leave his house at once.

Then, after a week, Seamus left Spain too and submitted a request to the British Ministry for a transfer to the highly demanding Aurors' Team. It had come as a surprise for me, not because Aurors only received a slightly better pay than other officials in the Ministry but had to undergo very tough training nor because of the fact that few of my friends had chosen that path. Harry, my best friend, had joined the Department of Mysteries and Dean, another Hogwarts formmate and roommate, had become an Auror. They had taken up the riskiest jobs in the Ministry before getting married, but Seamus' case was the other way round that made it strange. As a man, I could say that few men would put themselves in (further) danger after having their own family. I had not doubted Seamus' ability to become an Auror but having known him for many years and his personality and goals so well, that decision just didn't make sense. He even joined C.A.V.E., in which he had had no interest at all, straight after completing two years of Auror training. Because of his new post and the fight against Voldemort, he had rarely, well, I suspected he had never, gone home since his transfer.

Many people, including nosy colleagues in the Ministry and friends who really cared about him, had tried to talk with him about his strange decisions but he looked irritated and changed the subject every time. Gradually, no one asked him about them.

*

Seamus arrived in the afternoon on the day of the full moon. We still had to wait for Dean before discussing the plan to rescue unicorns and capture the Death Eater. The attack would be launched at midnight.

I treated him to an afternoon tea. I had got used to having and quite enjoyed some Muggle food and drinks. Seamus stared at the bread on the coffee table. When I came from the pantry with two cups of Expresso, Muggle black coffee, he was playing with a ring on his fourth finger.

"Thinking of your wife?" I asked casually.

He stopped playing but didn't answer me.

"Why don't you stay at her side if you miss her that much?" I continued.

He took a sip of black coffee and looked intently at the cups on the table.

- Flashback -

One week before...

_A stern-looking man was drinking at Varázspálca (meaning "Magic Wand"), a quiet pub in Budapest, the Hungarian capital, alone._

_"May I buy you a drink?" a hooded figure with a cloak had just sat down next to him and asked. _

_The stern-looking man glanced at the stranger. From the hair and eye colours, he knew that was no stranger. "I just want water tonight."_

_"Have we met before?" The hood was pulled down and a handsome face was revealed._

_"More than that." The stern-looking man paused. "I once thought that even bad guys, except You-Know-Who, would have a little good inside them. I was so stupid to have believed you could turn good and even invited you to stay at my house. You just proved yourself to be the scum of the earth!"_

_He finished his glass of water in one gulp. "What are you doing here?"_

_"I asked Snape to brew _Alienodolor_ for me a few days ago. It can take away painful memory. I've had a little and can feel it's really working gradually. Want to try some?" The cloaked man took out a very small bottle of blue liquid._

_"Do you know the difference between drinking potion and water? Potion makes you get what you desire. Water'll only make you mind clearer," the stern-looking man answered coldly._

_"Then, will you... forgive me?" asked the cloaked man._

_ The stern-looking man threw some Knuts on the table and stood up to leave, apparently ignoring the plea._

_"Will I find you here again?"_

_"No," said the stern-looking man without turning back. He had sworn that if he ever ran into that bastard again, he would kill him. He did not do it that night because he had to put aside his anger in the light of a mission ahead in a nearby country._

- End of Flashback -

Seamus banged his fist on the table, causing half the coffee to spill. He used a Scouring Charm to clean it and said, "I wonder when Dean will be here," obviously avoiding the subject again.

"Soon," I said, looking at my friend's profile. He had changed quite a lot, not his appearance but his expression. I missed the lively, cheerful and carefree Gryffindor who had always loved to talk about Quidditch, but when I looked at myself, I wasn't any different from him.

*

Dean arrived about half an hour later. As I had sent information about that area to my two friends through Dumbledore and they were experienced, it took us no more than an hour to confirm the plan.

Seamus was taking a nap in the guest room. I stayed in my study, leaving Dean alone in the living room. Suddenly, I heard him say, "I told you to wait for me at home. What are you doing here? Go home!"

"No, I won't," came a woman's voice. It was the second time in two weeks a woman Apparated to my house looking for her man. Perhaps it was time to consider putting more charms to the house to protect my privacy.

"Go!"

I peered at the woman round the corner of the corridor. There stood Parvati Thomas, arms crossed over her chest, turning her back to her husband in my living room.

"_Alohomora Patefacio! Wingardium Leviosa! Occludo Obfirmo!_" Dean pointed his wand at the front door of my house, then to Parvati, sending her floating out and locked the door.

I knew very well the reason for their argument and I had heard from other members in C.A.V.E. that the couple had always argued about it since their marriage. Fred and George had taught me not to involve in quarrels between husband and wife so I retreated to my study, but it didn't mean I agreed with what Dean had done.

*

It was eleven o'clock, an hour before the scheduled attack. Dean and I were standing by the window, gazing the view outside, but I knew what, no, who he was looking at.

"She's been waiting there for four hours," I couldn't help saying.

"Is your place safe?" asked Dean.

"Yes, my house and garden are protected by charms and Vampires, Veela, Dementors and wizards and witches with Dark Marks can't enter my boundary, not even by Floo powder, Portkeys or Apparition, if that's what you're concerned about," I replied.

Parvati was hugging her knees against her chest under a lemon tree in my garden. The temperature in my area could drop considerably at night.

"If Parvati still refused to leave after I'm gone, please let her in, but don't tell her I asked you to."

I was annoyed by my friend's reluctance to show his true feelings and yelled, "If you care about her that much, why did you ..."

"What can I do? No one takes his wife along when fighting dark wizards!" Dean snapped at me.

"It's not a rule, is it? Nothing's impossible!" I yelled even louder at him and then closed my eyes. A memory pierced my heart. It wasn't something I wanted to bring up from the bottom of my mind, but the situation was all too familiar. To help my friends, I suppressed the aching feeling and tried to use a calm tone to reason with Dean.

"I was like you. I thought my sweetheart would wait for me while I was working my way up to be the top informant, showing the others my ability and the importance of my existence. When I returned home, she had... married my friend."

**

A/N:

Questions for Your Thought:

  * Who were the three Gryffindors who didn't attend Seamus' wedding?
  * Why did Seamus act so strangely after his marriage?
  * Who was Seamus' wife?
  * Who were the stern-looking man and the hooded man?
  * Whom did Ron's love marry? What had happened?

Ron is still the main character of this series. What the others have done or are doing have to do with him and his past. You will learn more about Ron and her in the next chapter. So, watch out for new uploads.

Thank you for reading Chapter 2. Please comment. I wish there would be at least another 5 reviews before Chapter 3 is up.

Copyright © Mabel 2001

   [1]: http://www.fanfiction.net/index.fic?action=Directory-AuthorProfile&UserID=19224



	3. Regret and Request

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A/N:

Thank all who reviewed Chapters 1 and 2. I'm sorry to have taken so long before posting Chapter 3 but I've been sqeezing time out of my busy school life to write it. Somehow I regret having made the story so mysterious and complicated so I need time to sort things out and plan which characters appear and what details are uncovered in each chapter. Anyway, I'll finish the story as planned.

Some of the mysteries are uncovered in this chapter, so if you've forgotten the details in the previous parts, please quickly re-read Chapters 1 & 2 first.

~ Thanks Section ~

[Pottermanic][1], you're right. Draco was suspicious. You'll learn a little bit more about him that may help you fit the parts in the puzzle in this chapter. f, to understand the story, it requires observation, organisation and analytical thinking. Please keep on reading. Then, you'll understand the story and I hope you'll enjoy the process. HGW, you won't be disappointed at the pairing. You just have to keep on reading until the end of the series. princess_katrina, you're observant and quick-witted and have worked out the identities of the two guys in the pub. Good on you! Sby, sorry if the pace of the story doesn't suit you but there're reasons why I put in so many details. Anyway, please keep on reading and reviewing. [Ron's Babe][2], you've thought of a good adjective to describe Dean. [w&m_law][3], [Ayleeandra][4], Jessica and herm, I'm delighted that you're making guesses. [=Skade=][5], [Penguin's Angel][6], [*Ice Lily*][7], k. c., lynet weasley, [*~*Annika Byrnn*~*][8], [Unshed Tears][9], Hermione Granger Weasley, [Aggressive Romantic Fighter][10], [Ziegod Lizski][11], Eliza, sara, [Lucius][12], [Karri Potter][13], [Ingenious][14], College Girl, mayagurl, Snoopy2000, [Lisa Cove][15] and reader, thank you for your reviews and encouragement.

- CHAPTER THREE -

**REGRET AND REQUEST**

"I pushed her into that and now I regret it. So, Dean, don't make the same mistake."

Before he could see my face trembling, I turned away from him and walked back to my study, leaving him to think for Parvati and himself.

*

It was an hour past midnight. A soft white gleam was radiating from Wooded Hills and sparkling dots were moving slowly towards the lowland, making the valley brighter and brighter every second. It was such a breathtaking and astonishing sight! Looking closely, they were unicorns, the most beautiful magical creatures, the blood of which could keep any living things alive even if they were an inch from death. Their pearly-white mane was shimmering in the silver moonlight.

While admiring the splendid and rare scene, Seamus and Dean were on alert for any unusual motion or presence around but there was no sign of any Death Eater up to then. _Has Ron got the right information? Has Voldemort changed his plan?_ they thought.

Suddenly, they heard a sound from behind and quickly whipped around, their wands pointing at a human figure. It was ... Ron!

"What're you doing here?" enquired Dean. "I could've hit you if I hadn't recognised you instantly."

"I've come to help," replied Ron.

"You shouldn't have come. It's Aurors' business to deal with Death Eaters. Without proper Auror training, you're putting yourself in danger here," said Seamus, wondering why Ron would be so unwise to appear then and there even if he cared about them very much.

"Don't underestimate me. I can defend myself and won't be a hindrance or worry to you. It's better to have three against one Death Eater. Perhaps I will be of help at the critical moment."

Dean and Seamus looked sideways at each other, as if asking, _Should he stay?_

"_Petrificus Totalus! Petrificus Totalus!_"

Before they could comprehend what was happening, Dean and Seamus had been hit by the full Body-Bind and fallen stiff to the ground. Only their mouths and eyes could move. They looked at Ron in horror.

"Why did you do that?" asked Dean, totally shocked.

Laughter echoed round the valley.

"You - are - not - Ronald Weasley!" spoke Seamus through clenched teeth.

"Polyjuice Potion!" Dean exclaimed.

"You've worked it out," mocked at them the impostor. "I hated redheads but the hair comes in handy now. The Dark Lord knew your plan and ordered me to kill you. Well, it'll be too boring to do it with just a killing curse. I'll have some fun before I finish you off. _Crucio!_"

Dean's painful shriek pierced the silent night, scaring the unicorns that were several hundred feet away.

Avada Kedavra, a quick kill, was more appealing than the Cruciatus curse then if there wasn't a third choice, thought Seamus, but the situation was giving him time to liberate himself. As part of the training, Aurors were trained to fight the Imperius curse. Seamus could do it, then the Body-Bind spell shouldn't be any different.

He concentrated really hard and, after a few seconds, could feel his fingers able to move freely. The impostor might possess skills and cruelty but was too careless not to have killed the enemies immediately or at least disarmed them, thought the Auror. Seamus sprang to his feet with his wand firmly held and shouted, "_Expelliarmus_! _Petrificus Totalus!_" 

The impostor was hit in his wrist and his chest and a wand flew out of his grasp, but Dean had already passed out because of the torture. It was the impostor's turn to be petrified.

No matter how much the hateful Death Eaters deserved to die a hundred times, Aurors were not allowed to use the killing curse on dark wizards. Seamus approached the impostor who was lying flat on the ground, two wands, his and the impostor's, in his hand, and wanted to search if the Death Eater had any more wands. He slipped his free hand under the prisoner's robe and reached out to a mysterious object protruding from his chest under the garment.

Suddenly, something flashed between them. The next thing Seamus knew was that a shining dagger was stuck deep in his chest, the hilt held by the Death Eater. Seamus backed away in pain and had snatched the mysterious object which was oval, flat and hard with a blend of blood-red and burgundy. It was a rare Hex-Absorption Stone! The impostor had not been bound by his spell!

Blood was flooding non-stop and Seamus fell backwards onto the ground, a hand pressing the small but fatal wound. The dark wizard strode towards him, dagger in hand, hoping to finish the enemy off before he could chant a spell. Seeing that, Seamus yelled, "_Reducto!_"

Without the Hex-Absorption Stone, the Death Eater received the spell in full, flew ten feet into the air and fell with a smack to a big grey rock, his head landing on the hard granite surface first. The face of the impostor began to change. The freckles were disappearing. The flaming red hair was withdrawing into the scalp, turning into thin, colourless hair and there was a large bald patch on top. The tall, thin body started to shrink to a short and plump form. The man was ... Wormtail! There was no life in him, definitely. That was confirmed by the transformation as any potion and charm would wear off when the person to which it was given or cast died.

Bearing the pain, Seamus crept towards the unconscious Dean, leaving a long red trail on the grass. He wrapped his arms round his friend and teammate. Energy was draining away from him, but he was determined to get what could be his last spell right. Leaving some of their body parts there wouldn't be a pleasant sight. Faintly, but carefully, he uttered, "_Appareo!_"

*

Parvati and I had been waiting anxiously for two hours. Just before I was close to a decision to go search for them, Seamus and Dean Apparated to the house, lying, weak and bloody. Parvati gasped and nearly froze in place. I motioned her to help me separate them. After inspecting their condition within seconds, I ran to the fireplace, started a flame, grabbed a bottle on the mantelpiece and tried to pour some powder into the fire. Damn! The bottle was empty. I had forgotten to refill it because of all the planning of that night's attack in the previous week. I couldn't use Fire Talking when it was such an emergency!

"Parvati, go get help from the Accident and Emergency Squad at Bucharest. Ask for mediwizards who also know Muggle medicine. Quick!"

She was gone at once.

Dean's condition was not that serious. He was weak and unconscious, probably having been hit by the Cruciatus curse. But I wasn't optimistic about Seamus. His robe was soaked with blood. His face was paler than a sheet and his body freezingly cold. Even with both my hands pressing hard to his wound, trying to stop him bleeding, blood was still streaming from in between my fingers. I could feel his heartbeat slowing down. There was nothing I could help him with magic as he had been wounded in a barbarous, Muggle way. My heart ached for my childhood friend. 

Seamus winced and panted, "It was... Wormtail... I killed him... accidentally... out of self-defence...The unicorns... are safe..."

"Don't talk. Save your breath. There'll be help soon."

"It's... no use... My time is... coming... Ron... do something... for me... please?"

Both of us knew it and I couldn't curb the hot tears. I nodded affirmingly to show him I would do my best to fulfil his last wish.

"Give this... to... Lavender..." He took off the ring that I had seen him playing mindlessly that afternoon from the fourth finger. "Tell her... I'm no longer... angry with her... In fact... I have always... loved her... thought of her... After I die... if she chooses... to remarry... I don't mind... I just want her... to be happy...hereafter..."

Seamus closed his eyes and frowned. Whether it was out of pain or other reasons, I was not sure. He continued, "Tell Draco Malfoy... I hate him... but if he truly... wants my forgiveness... then... take good care of Lavender... or... I will haunt him... for the rest... of his life..."

I was taken aback by his last statement. As far as I knew, the last time Draco saw him was at Seamus and Lavender's wedding and the reunion afterwards. Suddenly, lots of things raced through my head, including what Pansy said about Draco the other night, and then the jigsaw puzzles seemed to be put into place. I finally understood why Seamus wanted to become an Auror and never returned home: He had been trying to avoid the origin of his misery in the past seven years.

I gaped at my friend as he mouthed, "Lavender..." His heartbeat finally stopped.

I couldn't believe he just died like that! I applied pressure to his heart with both hands for... I don't remember... so long, but it was useless. Staring into his face, at his open eyes, like the windows of a deserted house, I knew nothing could bring him back to life.

Just then, Parvati and three mediwizards popped into my house. I don't remember what I said. I just saw two mediwizards rushing to the side of Seamus' body and then standing up, eyes wide. I couldn't remember the rest of the night, except the blank and expressionless face of Seamus' that has burnt to my memory forever.

*

With Parvati by his side, looking after him day and night, Dean recovered completely after one week. He filled us with what he recalled had happened in Wooded Hills on that fateful night. I thought it over with what had taken place recently again and again the following days. Though there wasn't any proof yet, I believed I had an idea of who informed Voldemort of our plan and how that person had got a bit of me. I felt Seamus' death was partly my fault, first the Polyjuice Potion, then the lack of Fire Talking Powder.

*

Dean and Parvati left on a sunny day. That morning, they asked me who would break the news to Lavender. I said I would tell her in person, bringing with Seamus' last words. Of course I kept the content of the message from them.

Then, I pulled Dean aside and asked, "What're you going to do next?"

"Report to Dumbledore, and see what the next mission is."

"What about Parvati?"

"I'll take her with me."

I raised an eyebrow.

He continued, 'Like you said, nothing's impossible. Having a wife can't stop me from fighting dark wizards. Without her this time, I doubt whether I might get through it so quickly."

I couldn't help feeling jealous as I saw him slip his arm round Parvati's waist, both smiling at each other, and leave on a broom. Once, I could've been like Dean but, not knowing why, I failed to grasp at the chance.

*

Ever since Dean and Parvati had left, it had been raining. Every time it rained, I thought of her.

In the first two years after graduation, I had to go to-and-fro between England and France for C.A.V.E frequently. One thing always bewildered me. Every time I left her for France, it rained. She said it was because she was unhappy and, for an innumberable number of times, she begged me to let her come with me but I refused. The last time she asked me, I turned her down with a very lame excuse. Later, she married my friend. I hurried home on her wedding night.

- Flashback -

_"My answer will always be the same. I won't go with you." A bride in a flimsy nightgown held by thin shoulder-straps was sitting on the edge of a four-poster bed, talking to a red-haired man who had just hit the groom with a Stunner. She tried to sound calm, but her clutch on the sheets was giving her away._

_"What can you see in him? You've never loved him." The man was standing with his back to the moonlight, throwing a long shadow over her. His face could not be seen clearly in the darkness, but his voice was full of doubt and pain._

_"I love the way he loves me. At least, he's not a coward. He's not afraid to express his true feelings for me. He returns my feelings passionately even if what I do for him is trivial. He would never push me away but take me along wherever he goes. He would let me stay by his side instead of having me worry about him all the time. And most importantly," she sounded dry, "he had never led me on for years and then, one day, said he'd always regarded me as a friend, only a friend, and no more than that. He's the type of man I want!"_

_"He's the type of man you want? But is he the man you want? I know better than you. You don't love him and you'll never love him. You'll be the unhappiest person on earth if you stick to him!"_

_"I may not love him enough now but I'll learn to love him as much as he loves me. Thank you for your concern, if any, for me but I'll be happy because he and I will love each other mutually. I'm sick of always being the one who gives. I've been so blind not to have seen him before. He's loved me for years and has the strongest feelings for me." She meant the last part to be a revenge for what he had said to her the last time he left her on a mission._

_Her intention was achieved. Desperately, he said, "He's not the only one who's loved you for years and definitely he's not the one who loves you most!"_

_"If he's not, who is that person?" She confronted him._

_"I..." The truth was on the tip of his tongue but underneath his heavy breathing waves of emotions were battling against a cliff of self-control. Finally, he approached her and what came out from his mouth was a hoarse whisper, "I ask you the last time. Will you come with me?"_

_"No, I won't go with you!" she said determinedly._

_The patience and restraint he had tried to keep for the past ten minutes finally snapped. He grabbed her wrist and tried to drag her away, but she yanked out of his grip. As a result of imbalance, she fell backwards onto the bed but quickly propped herself up on her elbows. Shooting a fierce glare at him, she said firmly, spitting every syllable through clenched teeth._

_"Listen. I was wedded an hour ago. From now on, only one person can touch me and that's Neville. Get out of my sight. I don't want to see you anymore."_

_He couldn't believe his ears. Upon hearing those words, he dashed forward and pressed her down on the bed, eyes burning with rage. This time, he had a very firm grip on her arms and was sitting on top of her, crushing her struggle successfully. There was no way for her to escape._

_"What are you do-" Before she could finish the sentence, he had already sealed her mouth with the most brutal kiss she had ever experienced, with such a force that might knock loose their front teeth. It was hard to tell whether it was a punishment for what she had said or an act out of repressed emotion and desire that had finally exploded. His tongue was probing and lips were sucking hers so feverishly as if he couldn't get enough of her. His grip on her arms had loosened while his sense was being absorbed in her warmth and fragrance._

_She knew she should push him away then but part of her was stopping herself from doing so. She hated herself for being weak and indecisive, and him for stirring up feelings that she thought had been cremated or at least buried. What was to come between them could be predicted if she didn't put a stop to what they were doing. Her dream since she first set eyes on him when they were still in their teens would soon come true, but snapping back to reality, it was only her wedding night, not their wedding night as she had always fantasised until she had given up on him a year before. Meanwhile, the moral, sensible and coolheaded self was reminding her that her lawfully wedded husband was lying unconscious in the living room and she would eventually hate herself for having let another man lay hands on her. Besides, deep down in her heart, she was still angry with the man on top of her for not having done anything to be with her when he had had loads of chance since their schooldays. Tears of confusion and self-contempt were swelling up in her eyes._

_ The tip of his nose felt drops of tears rolling down her face and the fire of fury and resentfulness was immediately extinguished. His heart was pounded up by guilt. He had taken her tears as a result of the hurt and pain he had caused her in the past. His mouth parted from her lips. He whispered, "I'll never break your heart again," and then started kissing every tear of hers. His hands slid upwards from her arms over her creamy, porcelain skin, along her shoulders, her neck, her jawbone, at last one hand settling on and caressing her cheek tenderly and the other stroking her brown wavy hair that had fanned out on the wrinkled sheets. Everything had been removed from his mind except her and the want to soothe his fragile, vulnerable and precious girl, but little did he know that such gentle act and overwhelming passion were the last straw on her._

**

A/N:

Questions for Your Thought:

  * Who was a spy for Voldement?
  * How did Wormtail get a bit of Ron?
  * Who was the bride?
  * What else had happened on the wedding night?

Thank you for reading Chapter 3. Some of your questions from the previous two chapters are answered, right?

I know it came as a shock to some of you that Ron's love married Neville when many of you guessed or preferred it was Harry, but there're reasons why I do this. First, considering the personality of each character and the relationships revealed up to GoF, Neville fits in the role in this story better though I have to admit that 'Mrs. XXX Longbottom' sounds tediously long. Second, after estimating the proportion of Harry's fans and Neville's fans out there, I want fewer people to be depressed later. Oh, it seems I'm giving part of the plot away!

Apart from that, what do you think of this chapter? Please comment and tell me your concern and how much you understand so far.

In the first three chapters, many events take place in Romania. Well, we'll be back to England starting from Chapter 4.

As the hit counts are no longer available, to make sure there are still people who read my story, I wish there would be at least another 10 reviews before Chapter 4 is up. If you can't think of anything to write in the review, then simply type 'I want to read Chapter 4.' But of course it'd be better if you express your opinion, voice your concern or give suggestions. Thank you.

Copyright © Mabel 2001

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	4. Home and Away

Untitled Document

A/N:

Sorry again for having taken so long before writing Chapter 4. School is less stressful now. Hopefully, Chapter 5 will be finished sooner.

What are the eye colours of Ginny, Ron and Hermione in JKR's books? Is there the term "money" in the wizarding world? If you know, please tell me ASAP. Thanks.

I may have skipped the part which you expected to read in this chapter but this story is rated PG13 and I have no intention in raising the rating. Please understand.

~ Thanks Section ~

HGW, [w&m_law][1], and [Ayleeandra][2], thank you for reviewing every chapter. wajeena, sorry if the previous chapters confuse you, but I can assure you I've been sticking to one plot which just seems complicated at the moment. Alexis, there're readers who're waiting for the identity to be revealed. You're one of those who've worked it out early on. [Xoni Newcomer][3], I'm glad that you find Ron & Neville fit the roles. I agree flashbacks are hard to handle, but because of my limitation, I couldn't think of a clearer way to narrate the many things that happened in those ten years. However, I'll adopt your advice & am planning a more straightforward story after this series is complete. You've made a right guess about Pansy though that's not the "trap". In fact, I intended to say "there may still be some turns or twists". Anyway, I'm delighted to see readers making guesses. sirius fan (I'm happy that you like the Seamus-Wormtail part), Druisilla (yeah, I like to imagine what the HP characters will be like & whom they will be with years later), and [A. Spinnet][4] (good guess & you'll know if Lavender ran off with Draco in this chapter), Harry may not appear so soon but he'll. ariana, be confident in yourself. Though it didn't turn out to be Harry, it doesn't necessarily mean that your other guess is wrong. sweetfires_elf@yahoo.com, Termes, and Rena Vulcan (I didn't mean the front teeth to be a clue because Hermione had her bucked teeth shrunk in her fourth year. Anyway, I appreciate your observation.), I've been thinking really hard & hope the following chapters won't disappoint you. Cimpanzee Loco, I take it as a compliment. Thank you. Marna13, sorry, I can't answer your question because I don't know what "beng" is, but for you, I keep going. Alisha, you can find out the answer for sure in this chapter. [Hogwarts chica][5], yes, she's in this story. College Girl, I pity Seamus, too. However, Dean and Parvati are reconciled. I've written something especially for you near the end of this chapter to ease the mood. [Miki_RainWater][6], don't get mad. You'll know in this chapter. Erised, I love to explore Ron's mind, too. Ariel Star, yes, the Mystery Woman will be revealed, and I believe who you have in mind is the one. Maris, don't worry. I promise to work to the end of the story though it takes quite some time for each chapter to come out. Me, [SilverTone][7], [Draco'sGirl][8], Terra Incognita aka Alexis Malfoy, [Caitie][9], Laure, Strider, [Silver Theory][10], [ScarletWitchXIII][11] (I hope you aren't mad yet), trowa barton, Trudy, Aries_wrath I_am_steph33@hotmail.com, [SapphirePrincess][12], Bandy, Katherine, here's Chapter 4 for you.

- CHAPTER FOUR -

**HOME AND AWAY **

It was 24 June, 2009. Voldemort was finally defeated, exactly fourteen years after his second rise.

Even in the secluded corner of Romania, I knew the whole magical community was triumphing over the Dark Lord's death. His downfall was what I had been working for in the previous eleven years. It was done, but the victorious feeling didn't last for long. Soon, I felt unsure of where to go. There was no excuse for me to stay far away anymore.

Anyway, I waited there, for Draco. Every year around July, he came to see me. I had promised Seamus to find him. Having learnt what he had done to Seamus, I was not sure whether I could still call him friend.

Strangely, he did not turn up that year. I waited for the whole month of July, from dawn till dusk. Still, there was no trace of him. That left me one more place to go - Spain.

*

It was the first time I went to Seamus' villa in Barcelona. As described by those who had attended his wedding, his house was situated in a great location, up on a headland overlooking the Balearic Sea. Judging by the size of the estate, Seamus had intended to raise a big family with lots of children or even grandchildren there, that he could never accomplish then.

After appreciating the panoramic view for a few minutes, I turned and knocked on the front door. I wasn't sure whether Lavender was still living there. Perhaps the villa had been sold, but it was the remaining place I could try to find Draco and her.

The door was opened. It was surprising for both the resident that an old acquaintance showed up in front of the house and me that she was really still there.

"Hi, Lavender. Long time no see."

*

"Have you really not seen Draco?" I asked her the third time.

"No." Lavender shot a glance, getting impatient.

"I have a message for him. It concerns both of you. Please tell me if you've seen him." I wasn't afraid of letting her know that I knew what I thought had been going on between them. The shame was on her.

"How would I know where Draco Malfoy is?" She stood up, her cheeks flushed with anger and embarassment. "I haven't seen him for as long as I haven't seen you!"

All right. She insisted. I brandished the ring on my tiny. Her face turned white immediately. Of course I knew why, but I wanted to play her up a little longer for what she had done to Seamus. "Why are you staring at my ring?"

"It belongs to Seamus. Why is it with you?" She looked up at me boldly, but I returned with a sad smirk.

After a while, her gaze softened and she turned away from me, leaning sideways against the door frame.

Time seemed to have frozen. At last, her voice came as a choke, "Is he dead?"

"Yes, he died fighting against Voldemort's force." I walked round her, stuffed the ring into her hand, that happened to have a ring of the same design on the fourth finger, and told her Seamus' last words. She was about six inches shorter than me and had dipped her head so low that I could only see her blond curls shining over her shuddering shoulders.

As I was leaving, I heard her weep her heart out. For a woman who'd let happiness slip through her hands, tears were an inevitable result.

*

It was strange how certain places could remind you so much of some people. Diagon Alley was definitely one of them for me, thanks to the very little change that had taken place there. Stepping into the alley, _her_ words echoed clearly in my ears as if she had said them the day before as I passed by each shop.

Flourish & Blotts

_^ "Well, I'm taking more new subjects than you, aren't I? These are my books for Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination, the Study of Ancient Runes, Muggle Studies -"_

Quality Quidditch Supplies

_^ "Well, I don't see any major difference between this Lightningbolt and Harry's Firebolt except it's shinier."_

_# "Tsk, tsk, tsk. After hanging around with Harry and me for five years, you still know so little about racing brooms, so our Miss Perfect isn't thaaaat perfect in all fields of knowledge."_

Magical Menagerie

_# "That thing nearly scalped me!"_

_^ "He didn't mean to, did you, Crookshanks?"_

Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour

_# "Don't you like these flavours? I can buy you others."_

_^ "I like them, but how did you get all that money?"_

_# "From Fred and George."_

Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions

_# "How do I look? What's wrong? Hello, hello?"_

_^ "Oh, yeah, you look... dazzlingly handsome in that dress robe."_

Finally, I went into Gringotts. It felt strange to hurtle through the maze of twisting passages on my own, not counting the goblin guide sitting next to me. All my previous experience there had been associated with my parents, scooping every Knut, every Sickle and every Galleon, if any, out for the welfare of the kids at the beginning of each school year to be exact.

The goblin reassured me that there was no mistake when the Weasleys' vault was open and there were columns of gold coins and mounds of silver. I left with a handful of Sickles in my bag, still wondering at the source of that fortune.

While walking back into the main hall, I caught a glimpse of a familiar figure at the entrance chamber before she disappeared into the street. I dashed out of the bank just in time to keep track of my target. After shortening our distance in several hurried strides, I took action.

"What a small world, Pansy Parkinson!" I pinned her to a wall at the intersection of Diagon and Knockturn Alleys, about ten yards from Gringotts. Two bags dropped from her hands and heaps of Muggle coins clanged against the ground.

"R-Ronald W-Weasley...W-What do you w-want?" she asked in panic.

"Hand you over to the Ministry for the murder of Seamus Finnigan," I hissed at her.

"I didn't do it!" she squeaked.

I pushed her sleeves up abruptly.

"I have no Dark Mark. I'm not a Death Eater." Beads of sweat were breaking out from her forehead.

"Who knows? Perhaps you have it somewhere else on your body." Her pupils shrank with terror. I mentally smacked myself. "But I have no interest in searching through you. Or you're one of the special Death Eaters without a Dark Mark because you're a spy for Voldemort!" _That must be right. Otherwise, how could she get through the security charms of my house?_

"No, I'm never a Death Eater, I wasn't a spy and I didn't work for the Dark Lord!" Her whole face was shining with sweat then.

"No one could have known and then told him the plan at Wooded Hills, except you! You inflicted my pity for you for a chance to steal information and my hair for the Polyjuice Potion -"

"That's not wholly true. Think from my viewpoint. If I had been working for the Dark Lord all along, I wouldn't have suffered so much all these years. Last year, at your house, when I realised there was no way I could make Draco keep his promise, whom could I turn to? WHOM COULD I TURN TO? My parents! But I knew they wouldn't forgive me so easily after I had defied them for nine years unless I made a contribution to the family. That was when I was tempted to take away a copy of your plan the next morning. But I didn't mean to cause anyone's death! I didn't even remember why there was your hair on my robe when they took it to the Dark Lord." She said all that very fast.

"The Ministry will judge whether you're guilty or not," I said coldly.

"No! They'll send me to Azkaban! No! Please!" she shouted shrilly, her face ashen. "If I can help you save Hermione Granger, will you let me go?"

_Hermione?_ It was a name long buried in my memory, yet the mention of it seemed to be causing ripples inside me. "What are you playing at?"

Her eyes darted from left to right. "Beware of Gabrielle Delacour. Veela, including part Veela, are extremely proud and possessive. They will use whatever means to take revenge on anyone who toys with them. You'd better go check if Granger's still safe."

_Gabrielle Delacour? Hermione? Revenge? Delacour taking revenge on Hermione? Hermione toying with Delacour?_

Before I could make sense of what she'd said, a sharp pain suddenly shot up from my groin and I collapsed. When I regained consciousness, the little snake had already escaped!

*

On my flight home, what Parkinson had said was running through my mind, but that wasn't enough to completely distract me from the pain. Parkinson's kick still hurt, especially when flying on a broom.

After half an hour, _it_ came into view. The Burrow. Though for some reason I hadn't wanted to go back to England, when seeing home, my heartbeat immediately quickened with joy.

I toppled gently onto the grass in the garden and called out to the first person I saw. "Ginny!"

She turned and her brown eyes widened. "Ron!"

We broke into a run and held each other in a tight embrace. I picked her up and started spinning her around and around and around until we both got so dizzy we couldn't see straight. She clung to me like life and laughed into my shoulder while I had my arms round her waist.

"You feel as plump as Mum." Of course she wasn't as fat as Mum. In fact, the weight she had gained made her look nicer and cuter at her age. However, her glare was a bit threatening. "Just kidding," I said. 

"And you're as lanky and freckly as ever, and I'm not kidding." We broke into another fit of laughter.

"So, did you miss your lankiest and freckliest brother?"

"Not really," she pouted. "I didn't know it would take nearly ten years for me to see you again." Then her eyes brightened up. "Do you know you've missed out a lot of fun? Right after you were gone, Bill got married. Then, Percy and Penny had their first child. Then, it was the twins' wedding -" 

"Hey, I did attend the wedding of my best friend and my dear little sister." I tweaked her adorable freckled nose and she giggled.

"But that was before you got transferred to Romania. Hey, did you see Harry?" asked my little sister.

"No. Why?"

"He sent you an owl early in the month to ask you why you weren't home yet. When you didn't respond, he went to Romania to fetch you."

"Well, I was waiting for somebody there. Then I stopped by Spain before coming back. The owl must have missed me. What was Harry thinking? Escort me home?"

"Yes, seeing that you're such a naughty boy who doesn't come home even once all these years." Her cheekiness was back.

"Yeah, the naughy boy wants to go see Mum and Dad now." I was disentangling myself from Ginny.

"They aren't here. Dad is in the Amazon on ministry business and won't be back until October. Mum's with him." She pulled away from me.

"The Amazon? What for?" _How old is Dad?_

"It's Fudge's order," she sighed. "He doesn't really like Dad because Dad always opposed his silly ideas. Since then, Fudge has been picking on Dad. Once, Dad was ordered to station in the Sahara for four months."

"What?" _ Fudge still heads the Ministry?_ "Why didn't Dad quit the job then? We've all grown up and can support ourselves now. Is my monthly C.A.V.E. living allowance not enough for Dad and Mum?"

"You don't understand Dad. He doesn't want to look useless and idle his time especially when we're no longer by his side. Dumbledore has been crediting your allowance to the Weasley's vault every month punctually, but Mum and Dad haven't touched it and it's all still there. They said it's your money and they don't want to spend what you risk your life for."

"You mean Dad and Mum haven't used even a Knut of what I give them and the money's been accumulated in our family vault since 2001?" She nodded.

"But my money is their money -"

"You'd better talk with Mum and Dad about it and not start a row with me. I'm neutral on this issue." Ginny knew my temper best.

Looking around, the Burrow sounded so quiet. "Are you here alone?" I asked.

"Of course not! Since Mum is away and thanks to my 'loving' brothers, their baby sister Ginny has become their baby-sitter, Nanny." She pretended to be annoyed but her cheerful tone underneath told me she enjoyed it.

"My nieces and nephews are here?" _It'll be interesting to meet them for the first time._

"Yeah, they're here every summer." She looked up to the sky. "They should be back by now." Just then, eight brooms of different sizes hurtled across the sky and their riders landed in front of us one by one.

"Children, come and meet Uncle Ron." Ginny motioned them. Eight kids, of which six were redheads, dismounted from their brooms. The other two had to be...

"Your kids?" I asked Ginny while looking at a boy whose hair pointed at each and every direction and a girl in a ponytail. Both had jet-black hair.

Ginny smiled and introduced the children with pride, "James and Jasmine."

"Hi, Uncle Ron," the black-haired kids said in unison. They had inherited their dad's hair and frame and their mum's good look and beautiful eyes.

Then, a redhead held out his hand solemnly and said, "Uncle Ron, how nice to see you. I'm Nicholas, and this is my younger sister, Morgana." A confident girl with metal-framed glasses followed suit and shook my hand.

"Percy named them after the famous witch and wizard," Ginny explained.

"Yes, Dad has very high expectation of us. I hope we won't disappoint him," Nicholas said in a business-like tone very much like his Dad's.

"I'm sure you won't." I smiled. Throughout the conversation, something brushed my lower back and my side. I made no sound until they came near my pockets.

"Gotcha!" I had seized the wrists of two little redheads behind me. A lizard and a centipede dropped from their hands and crawled quickly into a nearby bush. I looked at the two boys quizzically.

They gave me a puppy's face. "We found some Muggle creatures this morning and would like to give them to Uncle Ron as pets," one of them said.

"How very thoughtful of you," I replied sarcastically, releasing my grip. The two boys retreated at once to the back of their cousins. Before I could learn more about the boys, a lovely girl who looked like a five-year-old version of Ginny approached me.

"I'm sorry for what my brother and cousin have done. They're so immature." The innocent-looking girl held out her small fleshy hand.

I took it but something felt wrong. I retrieved my hand and brushed her rosy cheek with my palm. There was nasty, sticky green slime on our hands and her cheek. She cried instantly and dropped a fake hand. The two boys who had tried to play a trick on me shoved the crying girl away, giving me guilty and frightened glances.

"They are -"

"Fred and George's kids. I know." Even without Ginny's help, I could tell from their michievous glint.

"Kitty and Rick are Fred's children. The one on Kitty's right is Dale, George's son." Ginny pointed at those three kids, who were then standing at the edge of a wood, cleaning Kitty's face with their sleeves . Apparently, they didn't know the Scouring Charm.

"I thought the boys' names were Trick and Fail," I commented.

Everyone burst out laughing, though Nicholas was trying hard to stifle his laughter. 

After our laughs died down, only one child was left to be introduced.

"So, whose child have we got here?" I asked, referring to a boy with thick Weasley hair who was standing far away.

The remaining kids looked at each other oddly. Ginny seemed a bit surprised, or quizzical? At last, my sister gestured the boy, who appeared to be eight or nine, to come. She placed her hands on his shoulders and said encouragingly, "Tell him your name."

The boy looked up to me with his brown eyes. "Don, Don Granger."

**

A/N:

Questions for Your Thought:

  * Why didn't Draco show up at Ron's place that year?
  * Was Lavender telling the truth?
  * What did Pansy mean to say?
  * Where was Hermione?
  * What was Harry up to?
  * Who were Don Granger's parents?
  * Why was Don at the Burrow?

Chapter 4 is finished! I can take a rest first.

Just to make a note for those who don't remember Gabrielle Delacour that well. She's Fleur Delacour's sister and about six years younger than Ron and the gang. She was Fleur's hostage in the second task of the Triwizard Tournament in Harry's fourth year.

In the next chapter, you'll have a glimpse of how Hermione had been and more facts, including something about what Pansy said to Ron in Diagon Alley, will be known.

Thank you for reading Chapter 4. Please comment. I'll start writing Part 5 after getting 10 reviews for this chapter.

Copyright © Mabel 2001

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